ISSN 1234-4125 COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTlON OF THE PROBLEM OF ACIDIFICATION OF SOILS IN THE PROVINCE OF SI LESIA CAUSED BY ANTHROPOGENIC TRANSFORMATIONS lzabella Jackowska, Adam Kaczor Instytut Agrofizyki im. Bohdana Dobrzańskiego PAN Rozprawy i Monografie w Lublinie 2010 (7) Komitet Redakcyjny Redaktor Naczelny – Józef Horabik Zast ępca Redaktora Naczelnego – Grzegorz Józefaciuk Sekretarz Redakcji – Wanda Wo źniak Rada Redakcyjna Dorota Witrowa-Rajchert – przewodnicz ąca Ryszard D ębicki Jerzy Lipiec Bohdan Dobrza ński Piotr P. Lewicki Danuta Drozd Stanisław Nawrocki, czł. rzecz. PAN Franciszek Dubert Edward Nied źwiecki Tadeusz Filipek Viliam Novák, Słowacja Józef Fornal Josef Pecen, Czechy Jan Gli ński, czł. rzecz. PAN Jan Sielewiesiuk Eugeniusz Kami ński Witold St ępniewski Andrzej K ędziora Bogusław Szot Tadeusz K ęsik Zbigniew Ślipek Krystyna Konstankiewicz Jerzy Weres Janusz Laskowski Opiniowała do druku Prof. dr hab. Janina Kaniuczak Adres redakcji Instytut Agrofizyki im. Bohdana Dobrza ńskiego PAN, Wydawnictwo ul. Do świadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, tel. 81 744-50-61, www.ipan.lublin.pl Streszczenia i pełne teksty prac dost ępne s ą na stronie internetowej czasopisma www.acta-agrophysica.org Czasopismo jest umieszczone w nast ępuj ących bazach: Thomson Scientific Master Journal List Polish Scientific Journals Contents – Life Sci. Biblioteka Główna i Centrum Informacji Naukowej Akademii Rolniczej w Poznaniu Instytut Bibliotekoznawstwa i Informacji Naukowej Uniwersytetu Śląskiego w Katowicach Lonicera – serwis botaniczny Copyright by Instytut Agrofizyki im. Bohdana Dobrza ńskiego PAN, Lublin 2010 ISSN 1234-4125 Acta Agrophysica s ą do nabycia w dziale Wydawnictw Instytutu Agrofizyki PAN w Lublinie. Prenumerat ę instytucjonaln ą mo Ŝna zamawia ć w dziale Wydawnictw Instytutu Agrofizyki PAN w Lublinie oraz w oddziałach firmy Kolporter S.A. na terenie całego kraju. Informacje pod numerem infolinii 0801-205-555 lub na stronie internetowej http://www.kolporter-spolka-akcyjna.com.pl/prenumerata.asp Wydanie I. Nakład 200 egz. Ark. 10,8 Skład komputerowy: Wanda Wo źniak, Druk: ALF-GRAF , ul. Abramowicka 6, 20-391 Lublin This monograph was supported by: Regional Fund for Nature Conservation and Water Management in Katowice is the public institution whose task is carring out the environ- mental policy of the Silesian Voivodeship. Carrying out its mission, the Fund focuses on: support given to pro-environmental actions taken up by the administration, entrepreneurs, institutions and non-governmental orga- nisations. Furthermore, it also obtains and manages European funds for nature conservation and water management. CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………… 7 2. GENERAL CHARACTERISATION OF THE PROVINCE OF SILESIA …………. 7 3. SOIL ACIDIFICATION STATUS IN THE PROVINCE OF SILESIA …………… 13 4. CAUSES OF SOIL ACIDIFICATION IN THE PROVINCE OF SILESIA ……..… 41 4.1. Natural causes ………………………………………………………………… 41 4.2 Anthropogenic causes ………………………………………………………… 42 4.2.1. Fertilisation ………………………………………………………….. 42 4.2.2. Industrial pollution of the atmosphere ………………………………. 43 4.3. Participation of industrial pollution of the atmosphere in soil acidification in the Province of Silesia ……………………………………………………… 47 5. EFFECTS OF SOIL ACIDIFICATION IN THE PROVINCE OF SILESIA ……… 48 5.1. Levels of basic nutrients in the soils ……………………………………… 49 5.2. Soil acidification and bioavailability of heavy metals …………………… 88 5.3. Chemical composition of soils and plant yielding ………………………… 91 6. SOIL LIMING REQUIREMENTS IN THE PROVINCE OF SILESIA …………… 93 6.1. Ranges of soil liming requirements, doses and principles of the use of fertilisers for de-acidification of soils ……………………………………… 93 6.2. Use of and requirements for calcium fertilisers ……………………………. 112 7. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM OF SOIL ACIDIFICATION IN THE PROVINCE OF SILESIA CAUSED BY ANTHRO- POGENIC TRANSFORMATIONS ……………………………..………………… 124 8. DISCUSSION ………………….………………………..………………………... 126 9. CONCLUSIONS …………………………………………………………………… 129 10. REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………………… 130 11. SUMMARY ………………………………………………………………………… 132 12. STRESZCZENIE …………………………………………………………………… 133 7 1. INTRODUCTION Acid soils are characterised by unfavourable properties from both the agricul- tural and ecological points of view (Kaczor 2002, Lipi ński 2005). The process of acidification of soils is related with weakening of their microbiological activity and with negative changes in a number of their physical properties. The greatest changes, however, are caused by acidification in the chemical properties of soils, primary among which are the leaching of components with alkaline character, reduced availability of plant nutrients, increased solubility of aluminium and manganese compounds and of other phytotoxic substances, including heavy met- als (Jackowska 1998, Józefaciuk and Szatanik-Kloc 2002, Kaniuczak 2007). As a result of those changes, in acid soils there is usually a deficit of basic compo- nents, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and molybdenum in particular. Under such conditions plants absorb excessive amounts of ions characteristic of an acid environment (aluminium, manganese, sulphur, heavy metals). Imbalance between ions of acid and alkaline character is one of the most dangerous effects of chemi- cal degradation of soils. Real chemical degradation of soils usually takes place when soil acidification resulting from the effect of natural factors is augmented by anthropopressure. Such a situation occurs mainly in areas with a high level of industrialisation (Filipek et al. 2006, Kaczor and Brodowska 2008, Słowik et al . 2008, Wójcikowska-Kapusta and Martyn 1996). In the context of the above, this work presents an analysis of the status of soil acidification in the Province of Silesia. The analysis comprises also the causes and effects of the acidification of soils in that region, and presents recommenda- tions for actions aimed at the optimisation of the reaction of the soils. 2. GENERAL CHARACTERISATION OF THE PROVINCE OF SILESIA Silesian Province (Silesian Voivodeship) was created on January 1, 1999, out of the former Katowice, Bielsko-Biała, and Cz ęstochowa Voivodeships. It is loca- lized in southern part of Poland and is bordered by four other Polish voivode- ships: Opole, Łód ź, Świ ętokrzyskie, and Lesser Poland. Silesian Province borders both the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south. It occupies 12 294 km 2, which makes up 3.9% of Polish area. Population of Silesian Province amounts up to 4 659 000 inhabitants, which is over 12% of whole-Poland population. It has the highest population density in the country – 393 people per 1 km 2, at whole-Poland average 124 people per 1 km 2 (National Report 2010, Materials of SChR 2010, 8 Report by WIO Ś 2009). Referring the area, Silesian Province ranks at the 14th place in Poland, while the second place in relation to population number (just after Masovian Province). Longitudinal length of Silesian Province is 190 km, while parallel span is 138 km. Its borders are 1024 km long. The peak point is localized in Pilsko massif (Jele śnia commune) – 1534 m alt., while Ku źnia Raciborska is situated in the lowest site – 173 m above sea level. Forests cover 31.7% of the total province area with average for the whole country 28.4%. According to data collected by GUS (Central Statistical Office), Silesian Province was divided into four sub-regions in 2006: Bielsko-Biała, Cz ęstochowa, Silesian, and Rybnik-Jastrz ębie. The administration structure of Silesian Province consists of 19 cities having the legal status of city county and 17 land counties further divided into 148 com- munes. The administration reform created the Silesian Province of 86% of the former Katowice voivodeship area (besides communes in Olkusz and Chrzanów county, as well as Brzeszcze commune), 70% of Cz ęstochowa voivodeship (apart from communes in Olkusz county – 6 communes, Paj ęczno – 3 communes, Ra- domsko – 2 communes, and Włoszczowa – 3 communes, as well as 60% of Bi- elsko-Biała voivodeship (except from communes in Susiec, Wadowice, and Oświ ęcim counties). Silesian Province is characterized by a great diversity of geographic environ- ments; both mountains, uplands, and lowlands are present here. Considering the physico-geographical division by Kondracki, Silesian Province is situated within three provinces: North European Plain, Polish Highlands, and Western Carpa- thians with Subcarpathian. The central part of Silesian Province is covered by Silesian Highland. There is a basin filled with Carboniferous rocks near Silesian Highland. Carpathian Nappes are pulled over on south, and Triassic and Jurassic sedimentary rocks forming characteristic inselbergs are localized on north and east of the region. Land configuration is diverse: maximum altitudes reach up to 400 m above sea level (Saint Ann Mountain). Two another macro-regions of Silesia-Cracow Upland are situated north and north-east of Silesian Highland: Wozniki-Wielun Upland and Cracow-Cz ęsto- chowa Upland. Three highland ranges being the thresholds of more resistant Tri- assic and Jurassic rocks directing from north-west to south-east can be distin- guished within Wozniki-Wielun Upland. Relief lowering in forms of Liswarta, Prosna, and Warta river valleys are situated among hills. Despite of significant 9 land configuration, the area does not exceed 350 m altitude (southern fragment of Wozniki Escarpment) with average heights of 220-300 m above sea level. Considering the Cracow-Cz ęstochowa Upland macro-region, only Cz